Technological innovations and advances in genetics will enhance the ability to both evaluate and improve embryonic competence. This 3-day, in depth course will review what is known about the basic reproductive processes that represent rate-limiting steps in human reproduction. The participant will understand the full spectrum of these limits, starting by reviewing clinical data and extending fully through the molecular level. Methodologies currently being used to evaluate embryonic competence will be reviewed including technical requirements, biologic material, equipment, and personnel. Future technologies and screening strategies will then be presented, such that clinical reproductive endocrinologists, embryologists, and scientists will have a full understanding of the technologies as they become clinically available in the next several years. The course will provide opportunities to interact with expert faculty. In addition, two adjunct hands-on workshops in blastomere preparation for PGD are being offered.



TARGET AUDIENCE



Reproductive endocrinologists, embryologists, basic scientists, and other related health professionals will benefit from this course.



OBJECTIVES



At the conclusion of this program, the participant should be able to:

- Understand the genetic basis of human embryonic competence;

- Explain how epigenetic factors affect human development;

- Understand endometrial and oocyte determinants of implantation;

- Appreciate the limitations and promise of new technologies in IVF.



SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE



Richard T. Scott, M.D., Scientific Chair

Reproductive Medicine Associates of New Jersey

Morristown, New Jersey, USA



Michael M. Alper, M.D.

Boston IVF and

Harvard Medical School

Waltham, Massachusetts, USA



ORGANIZING SECRETARY



Serono Symposia International, Inc.

1099 Hingham Street

Rockland, MA 02370 USA

Telephone 800-283-8088 or 781-681-2352

Fax: 781-681-2915



BLASTOMERE PREPARATION FOR PGD

HANDS-ON WORKSHOPS



An adjunct hands-on workshop session will be offered on Friday, May 13, 2005 from 5:30 pm to 9:30 pm. A second, concurrent, hands-on workshop session will be offered on Saturday, May 14, 2005 from 12:30 pm to 4:30 pm. Each workshop session is limited to 16 participants. The didactic portion of the workshop will address the theory and practice of preimplantation genetics in the IVF setting. The majority of the workshop will be spent in hands-on training in polar body, blastomere, and trophectoderm biopsy, cell spreading, and fixation techniques. Course participants will be acquainted with current equipment such as microscopes, micromanipulation equipment and laser system to incorporate biopsy and fixation techniques immediately into their IVF program. All work will be closely supervised by expert faculty. Workshop attendees will be provided with an additional syllabus with protocols and technical materials and either dinner (Friday) or lunch (Saturday), and refreshments. Microdissection equipment, display capability, and biopsy and fixation microscopes will be generously supplied by MidAtlantic Diagnostics, Inc.



SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM



Thursday, May 12, 2005



Plenary Session

Richard Scott, Session Chair



3:00 ? Registration

4:00 pm



4:00 pm Introductory Remarks

Richard Scott, Scientific Chair



4:15 pm Welcome Address

The Future of ART: What Are Our Most Critical Technologies and Issues?

Paul McDonough



5:15 pm Embryo Research: The Legal, Ethical, and

Regulatory Limitations

Alta Charo



6:00 pm ART and Multiple Gestation: Have We

Succeeded or Failed?

TBD



6:45 pm Welcome Reception



Friday, May 13, 2005



7:00 am Continental Breakfast (provided)



Session I ? Reproductive Competence

Gary Smith, Session Chair



8:00 am The Spin from Spindle Abnormalities and Meiotic Errors

David Keefe



8:45 am Is There More to Male Reproductive

Competence Than Fertilization?

Kathy Miller



9:30 am Embryo Fingerprinting: A Prospect for Embryo

Diagnosis

Richard Scott



10:15 am Break



Session II ? Laboratory Evaluation of Reproductive Competence

Douglas Powers, Session Chair



10:30 am Embryonic Development: An Awakening of Gene

Expression

Douglas Powers



11:15 am PGD: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Richard Scott



11:45 am Embryo Morphology: More Than Meets the Eye?

Marlena Duke



12:30 pm Lunch



Session III ? Evolving Technologies in ART

Jason Barrit, Session Chair





2:00 pm In Vitro Maturation: Is It Mature Yet?

Gary Smith





2:45 pm Microfluidics: A New Biomedical Engineering Technique for ART

Gary Smith



3:30 pm Break



3:45 pm Oocyte Cryopreservation: Technologies, Safety, and Applications

Tom Toth



4:30 -

5:15 pm Ovarian Tissue Preservation: Challenges for the Future

Jacques Donnez

_________________________________________

5:30 ?

9:30 pm Blastomere Preparation for PGD

Hands-on Workshop





Saturday, May 14, 2005



7:00 am Continental Breakfast (provided)



Session IV ? Offspring from ART

Michael Alper, Session Chair



8:00 am Epigenetics: What the Genome Never Told Us

TBD



8:45am Imprinting Disorders in ART: Risk or Association?

James Toner



9:30 am Nuclear Transfer: Promise for the Future or

More Smoke and Mirrors?

Jason Barrit



10:15 am Break



10:30 am Can We Demonstrate that an Embryo is

Normal?

Marcelle Cedars



11:15 am Embryo Donation: What Are the Stumbling Blocks?

David Keefe



12:00 pm Lunch

_________________________________________

12:30 ?

4:30 pm Blastomere Preparation for PGD

Concurrent Hands-on Workshop



Session V ? Evaluating and Managing Endometrial Sufficiency

James Toner, Session Chair



1:30 am Assessing Implantation Potential

Richard Paulson



2:15 pm Non-Traditional Markers of Endometrial

Receptivity: Are They Ready For the Clinic?

Bruce Lessey



3:00 pm Break



3:15 pm Progesterone and ART: Fact and Fiction

James Toner



4:00 -

4:45 pm Beyond the HSG: New Imaging Technologies for

the Fertility Specialist

Elizabeth Puscheck





Sunday, May 15, 2005



7:00 am Continental Breakfast (provided)



Session VI ? Contemporary Issues in Follicular Stimulation

Richard Scott, Session Chair



8:00 am GnRH Antagonists: Are Outcomes Impacted?

Alan Copperman



8:45 am LH: Is There a Threshold and a Ceiling?

Zeev Shoham



9:30 am Break



Session VII ? Adjuncts for ART

Michael Alper, Session Chair



9:45 am How Can We Really Optimize IVF Outcomes?

Michael Alper



10:30 am Impact of Mental Health on ART Outcome: Strategies for Intervention

Alice Domar



11:15 am Acupuncture: The Yin and Yang for IVF

Michael Graubert



12:00 pm Closing Remarks

Michael Alper

Adjourn



This program is supported in part by an unrestricted educational grant from Serono, Inc.



All Serono Symposia International, Inc., programs are organized solely to promote the exchange and dissemination of scientific and medical information. No forms of promotional activities are permitted. There may be presentations discussing investigational uses of various products. These views are the responsibility of the named speakers, and do not represent an endorsement or recommendation on the part of Serono Symposia International, Inc.



REGISTRATION FORM

Advancing the ART of Human Reproduction

May 12- 15, 2005

(Please type or print clearly)



_____________________________________________________

Last Name First Name M.I. Degree



_____________________________________________________

Institution



_____________________________________________________

Department



_____________________________________________________

Address



_____________________________________________________

City Province/State/Country Postal Code/Zip



_____________________________________________________

Office Telephone Fax Number



_____________________________________________________

E-Mail Address (Please print clearly)



____Advanced Full Registration US $550, prior to or on April 21, 2005



____ Full Registration US $650, after April 21, 2005



____ Advanced Trainee/Fellow Registration US $450*, prior to or on April 21, 2005

*Must be accompanied by a letter certifying status.



____ Trainee/Fellow Registration US $550*, after April 21, 2005

*Must be accompanied by a letter certifying status.





____ Guest Fee US $100**

**Guest includes friends and family members who accompany a full meeting registrant. Guests may attend all meals and social functions.

____________________________________________________

Guest Name (Last, First)



BLASTOMERE PREPARATION FOR PGD

HANDS-ON WORKSHOPS

____ Friday, May 13, 2005 US $150.

Workshop limited to first 16 participants. Dinner provided.



____ Saturday, May 14, 2005 US $150. Concurrent session.

Workshop limited to first 16 participants. Lunch provided.



____ Payment by check or money order

Payable to: Serono Symposia International, Inc.



Charge to the following Credit Card:



___ MasterCard ___ Visa ___ American Express



____________________________________________________

Card Number Exp. Date



If you require special assistance (wheelchair, auxiliary aids) or special dietary requirements, please indicate and we will contact you. ___ Yes



Mail or Fax to: Registrar: Advancing the ART

Serono Symposia International, Inc.

1099 Hingham Street

Rockland, MA 02370 USA

FAX 781-681-2915



Or you can register online at www.seronosymposia.org





SPEAKERS



Jason A. Barrit, Ph.D.

Reproductive Medicine Associates of New York

New York, New York, USA



Marcelle I. Cedars, M.D.

UCSF Women?s Health

Reproductive Endocrinology and Fertility

San Francisco, California, USA



R. Alta Charo, Ph.D.

University of Wisconsin Law School and

Department of Medical History and Bioethics

University of Wisconsin Medical School

Madison, Wisconsin, USA



Alan Copperman, M.D.

Reproductive Medicine Associates of New York

New York, New York, USA



Alice D. Domar, Ph.D.

Mind/Body Center for Women?s Health

Boston IVF

Waltham, Massachusetts, USA



Jacques Donnez, M.D., Ph.D.

Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc and

Catholic University of Louvain

Brussels, Belgium



Marlena Duke, MSc

Reproductive Medicine Associates of New York

New York, New York, USA



Michael D. Graubert, M.D.

Palmetto Fertility Center of South Florida

Miami, Florida, USA



David L.Keefe, M.D.

Division of Reproductive Medicine and Infertility

Women and Infants Hospital

Providence, Rhode Island, USA

and

Tufts - New England Medical Center

Division of Reproductive Medicine and Infertility

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology

Boston, Massachusetts, USA



Bruce Lessey, Ph.D., M.D.

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA



Paul G. McDonough, M.D.

Medical College of Georgia

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology

Augusta, Georgia, USA



Kathleen Miller, BCTS

Reproductive Medicine Associates of New Jersey

Morristown, New Jersey, USA



Richard J. Paulson, M.D.

Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Division

University of Southern California School of Medicine and

University of Southern California Infertility Center

Los Angeles, California, USA



R. Douglas Powers, Ph.D.

Boston IVF

Waltham, Massachusetts, USA, and

Boston College, and

Harvard Medical School

Boston, Massachusetts, USA



Elizabeth Puscheck, M.D.

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology

Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility

Wayne State University School of Medicine

Detroit, Michigan, USA



Zeev Shoham (Schwart), M.D.

Reproductive Medicine and Infertility Unit

Kaplan Hospital

Rehovot, Israel



Gary D. Smith, Ph.D.

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology

Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Division Assisted Reproductive Technologies Laboratory

University of Michigan Health System

Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA



James Toner, M.D., Ph.D.

Atlanta Center for Reproductive Medicine

Woodstock, Georgia, USA



Thomas L. Toth, M.D.

Vincent Memorial in Vitro Fertilization Unit

Massachusetts General Hospital

Boston, Massachusetts, USA



ACCREDITATION



Physician: Serono Symposia International, Inc., is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to sponsor continuing medical education for physicians.

Serono Symposia International, Inc., designates this educational activity for a maximum of 20.5 category I credits towards the AMA Physician?s Recognition Award. Four (4) additional category I credits may be claimed for workshop attendance. Each physician should claim only those credits that he/she actually spent in the educational activity.



Laboratory Professional: Application will be made to the American Board of Bioanalysis (ABB) for Professional Enrichment Education Renewal (PEER) contact hours.



OFFICIAL LANGUAGE

The official language of the Symposium is English.



REGISTRATION INFORMATION

The registration fee for Advancing the ART is US $550 on or before April 21, 2005 and US $650 after April 21, 2005 for a full registration. The registration fee is US $450 on or before April 21, 2005 and US $550 after April 21, 2005 for trainees, students, and fellows. This fee includes: all plenary sessions, three continental breakfasts, two lunches, one reception, refreshments, and course book.



BLASTOMERE PREPARATION FOR PGD

HANDS-ON WORKSHOPS

The registration fee for the hands-on workshop offered Friday, May 13, 2005 is US $150. The registration fee for the concurrent hands-on workshop offered Saturday, May 14, 2005 is US $150. This fee includes: one dinner (Friday) or lunch (Saturday), refreshments, and course materials. The workshop curricula are identical. Attendance at each workshop is limited to the first 16 participants.



Payments may be made by check, money order, American Express, MasterCard, or Visa. All completed registrations will be acknowledged by mail. Cancellations will be assessed a US $50 administrative fee and must be received no later than May 1, 2005.



LOCATION



Loews Miami Beach Hotel

1601 Collins Avenue

Miami Beach, Florida

33139

Tel: 305-604-1601

www.loews.com



HOTEL AND TRAVEL INFORMATION



Situated in the heart of the culturally diverse and fabulously hip art deco section of South Beach, the Loews Miami Beach Hotel offers innovative cuisine, efficient, friendly service and an elegant setting. Combined with sunshine, ocean breezes and a pristine beach, the hotel amenities include an oceanfront pool, private beach, in room internet access and a fitness center.



A limited block of rooms has been reserved for this meeting at a special rate of $229/night (single/double, USD) plus applicable tax, which is currently 13%. For reservations, telephone the hotel directly at Tel: 800-235-6397. We recommend that you register at the hotel early to secure a room. Reservations made after

April 21, 2005 are on a space-available basis.



AIR TRAVEL



We are pleased to offer discounted fares to our attendees through our air partner American Airlines. For your convenience, you may book these fares through your travel agent, or by calling our travel agent BTI/World Travel at 800-637-7872, or through American Airlines directly at 800-221-2255. Please be sure to mention the Meeting Index #17667 to take advantage of these low fares.

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